Daughter of the Moon
by wroughtmetalrose
Summary: After surviving a brutal attack by a Child of the Moon, Bella is irreversibly changed; she's much more than she appears. But what will she do when her new self only intensifies her and Edward's chemistry? When werewolf meets vampire, sparks will fly! B/E, AU but some paralleled events. Canon pairings. Slow burn, UST. Edward-vamp, Bella-wolf.
1. Chapter 1: Terror

**Thank you to betty69blue who reviewed this story and reminded me that it still existed. It was written a long, long time ago... I'm older and wiser now (I hope) so I decided a bit of rewriting was in order. The new one is a lot more intense... not for the faint of heart. I hope you guys enjoy it. It should still follow along a lot of the same lines, I think.**

**No more song lyrics, though, since apparently that's not allowed. -.- **

**I will have to give you my inspiration - my vision, or as close to it as I can manage - instead. :)**

Inspiration: http*:*/*/*topwalls*.*net*/curse-of-the-worgen-wow/

remove stars and paste in your browser. Enjoy :)

XXX

Sometimes, life doesn't go the way you planned it. You tend to realize this when you're being bared down upon by the scariest, most unbelievable slavering monster you've ever seen. You also tend to be scared shitless, but that's beside the point.

My name is Isabella Marie Swan, and this is my story.

* * *

For years, I was just a normal girl. I lived a relatively boring life, sharing time with my dad, Charlie, and my mom, Renee. Renee would always be my activist, dragging me along into her different whims, and Charlie my comfort - the one with whom I could just sit and rest for a while. Though, like any typical child, I would've wished them to be back together given the chance, it wasn't an all that unpleasant childhood.

My happy medium was always found with my aunt and uncle, Auntie Gem and Uncle Karl. They were from my Dad's side of the family, and lived in a small town in Washington called Forks. They made up my family figure, I guess - the happy parents I _should've _had. I would visit them every summer, when the bitter northern winds were somewhat bearable. I was their little girl, the golden child they always wanted but never had. They spoiled me rotten, and I didn't dare protest. I was a child, after all; I liked having possessions. This trend continued as I got older.

Until today. The one fateful day that changed everything.

It was sunny, the first clue that should've told me something was wrong - it was _never _sunny here in forks. I looked out the window at the blue cloudless sky excitedly; I confined myself to the house on the icky days that it rained, which just so happened to be almost every day.

If I had to choose one downside to coming to see Auntie Gem and Uncle Karl, it was that. The Phoenix sun felt so much nicer on my skin than bitterly cold wind and rain.

"Hey Auntie Gem, Uncle Karl, would you guys be interested in coming for a walk in the woods? It's so nice out today, I don't think I can resist," I said. Auntie Gem smiled warmly at me. "I'll go get Karl, and then we can go, ok?" she said. I nodded back at her, an enthusiastic smile on my face.

I just turned sixteen today. It's my birthday. Friday, September Thirteenth.

We walked outside into the veil of sunshine. I didn't notice the slight fog outside until we stepped out of the house; oh well. It was too nice a day to pass up for a stubborn cloud.

"What a beautiful day this is, Bell. A great day for your birthday, huh?" Uncle Karl said in his slightly lisped voice, a lopsided smile forming on his face as he spoke. He motioned me to come close to his ear. "I think you're gonna enjoy your birthday presents," he whispered, in one of those whispers that isn't really a whisper - the one everyone within the vicinity can hear clearly. He winked, still grinning. I smiled at him widely and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't tempt me too much, Uncle, or I might have to sneak off while you guys are in the woods and open them all, and we wouldn't want that." I smirked. He just chuckled and shook his head.

We trekked into the woods, down the well-worn path back to a meadow. I would come here to think sometimes on nice days, and occasionally Auntie Gem, Uncle Carl and I would all come picnic out here or the like. I even camped out in the small clearing once as a child.

The trek was relatively short and easy, even for my aging relatives. The warm, bright sun beamed down on us from the clear blue sky. The slight fog from before we started our walk had disappeared to somewhere unknown. Auntie Gem, Uncle Karl and I all entered the clearing reverently, staring in awe at the untouched beauty of the meadow. The grass seemed to sparkle, dewy from the fog, the wildflowers swaying in a beautiful salute around the perimeter. Auntie Gem walked to pick some of the petite flowers as me and Uncle Karl sat in the center of the clearing. I lay my head on his shoulder and he stroked his fingers through my hair lovingly.

Time passed swiftly as we sat in the rare sunlight, and I must've fallen asleep. My dreams had a bitter edge; dark figures were waiting around every corner. I startled awake as Uncle Karl shook me gently by my shoulders.

"Bell...Bell... Wake up honey, please...!"

My eyes snapped open and I sat up ramrod straight, taking in the differences around us.

It had gotten late, and the moon was high in the sky. The fog had returned with a vengeance, almost thick enough to block out the trees at the edge of the clearing. The air was still curiously warm, but as I began to stand, I felt a sharp shiver run through me. It felt electric, tingling. Not in a good way. My eyes flew open wide in shock.

The moon was_ red._ The air, the clouds, the trees,_ everything _was bathed in shadow red as blood.

I tore my eyes away from the hypnotizing moon and looked at Uncle Karl. He was reaching over to wake Auntie Gem. He turned to me, eyes wide with terror. "Bell... Something's wrong... Get out of here! Get to the house!"

He didn't have to ask twice.

I stumbled out of the clearing, falling over myself groggily as I tried to navigate the path home. I hadn't been moving for long when I heard twin screams of ripping fear.

Uncle Karl... Auntie Gem!

I skidded to a stop on the dirty path, nearly losing my footing, and ran as fast as my legs could carry me in the direction of the noises.

Suddenly the screams were cut short.

"Auntie Gem... Uncle Karl... No!" I growled to myself, loosing some tears in the process. My legs pumped and pounded, dirt and distance flying beneath my feet. I stopped in my tracks as I reached the threshold. All my breath whooshed out of my lungs. I pinched my arm, and it hurt. Not a dream... A living nightmare.

There, in our clearing, hunched over the mangled and bloody bodies of my aunt and uncle, stood a creature terrifying in its entirety. I couldn't see all of it from where I stood, but it was enough. It stood on two enormous paw-like feet, with ankles extended upwards like that of a wolf. A bushy tail hung low between its legs, swishing back and forth slightly, greedily, in delight. Its back alone was huge, bigger than my entire kitchen table. Its arms brutally clawed at the people I knew so well, ripping off morsels of them and devouring them when it wasn't mutilating them with its ravenous canine teeth. Its snout dripped red with blood, running down its chest, its fur matted.

I was rooted to the spot, completely numb. I felt nothing. No emotion, only adrenaline. I was coldness, ice. Completely frozen inside. Horrified.

My feat were moving of their own accord, apparently smarter than my brain.

The beast was devouring their corpses.

Tears stained red by the unnatural moonlight ran down my face.

And then... A twig snapped. Right under my fucking foot. I froze.

Long, wolf-like ears twitched in my direction. It swung its heavy head. Blood-red eyes searched the clearing, landing on me, on my path. The beast growled, dropping their mangled bodies.

I ran. By God, I _ran. _

My legs moved faster than I ever remembered them doing, faster than they were meant to. My feet hurt as they collided with the ground, sending shockwaves up my calves. I could hear the beast giving chase, crushing down foliage.

And then, because I have the worst luck known to man, I tripped on a haphazard object - a root or rock, I think. My ankle was crushed beneath me as I went down. I fell with a thump, sprawled out on the ground. I let my screams and sobs finally escape, knowing that this was the end: my time was up.

And... I think that about brings us back to the present.

All at once it was quiet. Then... a snort above my shoulders, a puff of foul air. It reeked of flesh. I dared to turn my head.

Strings of thick, bubbly red drool dripped from its enormous teeth. It reeked of rotten things and darkness. Its eyes were blood-red with slitted, reptilian pupils. Its nostrils flared at the end of its long snout. It bared its fangs and growled low in its chest, and I shrank away as far as I could, pinned between it and the ground. Its muzzle was coated in my family's blood.

I squeezed my eyes closed as I anticipated what was to come next.

_Pain._ Pain lanced through my torso as the beast bit at my shoulder. It gnawed with its teeth, puncturing my skin over and over as it attempted to free my arm. It stopped for a second, lapped at the blood welling from the deep wounds. I screamed as the rough surface of it tore my skin. Its saliva mingled with my blood; fire traveled through my body. I was barely cognizant, all my senses were hazy - all I could focus on was the _pain. _

_Suddenly, the weight of the monster was wrenched from my body. _

Its snarl faded into the woods to my right, becoming farther and farther away. I heard the sounds of a struggle, inhuman growling an hissing as well as unmistakable howling from the beast. It sounded like it was in pain, horrible pain. Served it right.

I was alone, with only the fire in my veins and the red moon for company. My vision was fading... It was the end. I was alone in the frozen woods, completely helpless and hopeless.

But... wait... what was that in the distance? A light? I summoned the last of my strength as I struggled to stand, even to crawl. I stood unsteadily, swaying like a drunkard, fighting my howls of pain, tears pouring down my bloody face. I limped one step and fell to my knees. Again, I fought to stand. Two steps this time before I fell. Once more... drawing on my last vestiges of strength. I failed at the time to notice that my horrible wounds had somehow closed.

I didn't remember entering the house. All I was aware of as I collapsed on the floor was the terrifying fear and the fire in my veins.

XXX

**Anyone who catches the reference to another good book series in this chapter, I might love you forever. :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Return

Inspiration: http*:*/*/*animals*.*desktopnexus*.*com*/wallpaper/651807/comments/

Remove stars and paste in your browser. Enjoy :)

* * *

XXX

_Elderly Couple Murdered by Savage in Forks Woodlands _it said.

I stared, unblinking, at the headline in the paper. The savage murderer they talked about - I knew more than they ever would. More than they would ever accept.

That infamous day was one year ago today. Time had passed quickly since then, life passing by in a blur. Not too much mattered anymore. Sure, I put on a brave face for Charlie and Renee, and now Phil. But it was for their benefit alone. Fear still plagued my nights, as well as my days, though I'd become somewhat inured to the constant nightmares by now.

Somehow, I was returning to Forks. The only reason I was back was for my parents; their happiness was much more important than mine, and that required my relocation. Charlie was a policeman back in Phoenix, and once he heard about the horrific crime surrounding my aunt and uncle, he moved in to investigate. Forks suited him surprisingly well, and they needed a police chief, so he stayed. I was with him because Renee needed more time with her Phil without me tagging along; I was more of a liability than an enjoyment to have around, I will admit. I haven't been too much of a conversationalist since... that night.

I looked up above the white wooden door again - 6728, the address was correct - and lightly knocked on the door, tucking my newspaper clipping back into my pocket. I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

Charlie opened the door. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled, just like I remembered. He wrapped me in a gentle bear hug.

"Welcome home, Bells."

I stiffened at the likeness of his pet name to... what they used to call me. My eyes stung, but I sucked it up - no weakness. I had to be strong, for everyone else. He stepped back and squinted into my eyes. I smiled at him as convincingly as I could, kissing him on the cheek. "I missed you, Dad." I said. He seemed satisfied. Charlie... wasn't one to really think things through too much.

He stepped back awkwardly, gesturing to the interior of the house in a jerky manner. "Uh, come on in." he held the door open, ushering me inside. I chuckled a little at his awkwardness; I knew it well since I possessed the exact same trait.

"Your room is upstairs, last door at the end of the hallway after you turn left. Tell me if I missed anything up there, will you?" he asked. "Sure, Dad." I replied.

Desk, lamp, bed, computer, alarm clock. The room seemed comfortably furnished to me; I even had a padded, comfortable-looking rocking chair in the corner. The room also had a great view of the forest behind the house. Though it wasn't the same forest I had experienced my nightmare in, it still gave me shivers. Oddly enough, the shivers weren't what I expected them to be. I _wanted _to go out there into the forest. It felt like... home.

I was terrified. I s_houldn't _want to go into the forest. I paced for hours until my curiosity won out.

I walked down the stairs, a little faster than I would normally move. "Hey, Dad?" I yelled. He grunted from the couch. "I like the room, but would you mind putting up some drapes? Unless you want me moving around at the crack of dawn, that is," I said. He chuckled. "Sure Bells."

I walked outside into the crisp air. The sun was setting, low on the horizon, and though my nervousness was multiplying by the second, my curiosity was too. Whatever this feeling was, it was going to be the death of me.

I walked past the tree line, running my hands over the smooth bark of the trees. They felt cool, pulsing with life.

_This must've been a result of my attack...I can feel DNA of a different kind pumping in my veins, alongside my own..._

I walked for hours, just feeling the life all around me. I felt the trees, budding with life, the dark things crawling in the dirt, saw deer and rodents nurturing their young, a bear munching on a fish in a nearby stream. And... something else. Something I didn't know... a presence that was completely unfamiliar. I walked toward it, my curiosity piqued. I crept through the trees, driven by buried instinct.

I came upon a large clearing, decorated with fallen trees covered in moss, as well as boulders. A small brook bubbled through the center of the place. My eyes widened involuntarily as I took them in.

They sat on a large boulder. There was a large man, well muscled, honey hair falling past his eyes. On his lap and against his chest lay a very petite woman with black, spiky hair. The man was running his thick hands through it, and the woman was emitting some sound akin to a purr.

I was absolutely fascinated; their beauty put movie stars to shame. My eyes wide and curious, I crept toward them with feather light steps.

The next two things happened simultaneously.

The moon escaped from its cover behind the clouds, bathing my hiding place in a silvery, glowing light. The woman snapped her head in my direction, the man doing so not long after. Also, the wind blew the two creatures' scents towards me, and my nose inhaled the unfamiliar smell.

I looked again at the boulder where the man and women were perched, but they had gone as soon as they'd discovered my presence. But their scent still remained, and all at once, a cataclysm went off inside me. I gasped. My eyes rolled up in my head as different things fought for control over my body. Finally, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground. I whined in pain as my bone structure altered itself, my spine elongating, my nose and mouth changing shape. My legs crunched inward as my fingers fused together. Millions of needles pricked my skin as thick fur grew out of my pores. My ears travelled up the sides of my head and my senses sharpened into higher focus. I opened my eyes, blinking uncertainly.

The petite woman stood in front of me, looking into my eyes. Then she was gone.

I hopped to my feet in earnest , but instantly fell back down. I wasn't used to moving on four legs instead of two. Gingerly, I planted my two front paws on the ground, using them as leverage to push the rest of me up. I carefully moved one leg at a time, until I was sure I had the hang of it. I moved to the brook, looking at myself in the water, almost afraid of what I would see there.

My breath escaped me as I beheld my reflection. I was a wolf. Not just any wolf... a snow-white wolf with blood-red eyes.


	3. Chapter 3: Phenomenon

Forgot to say this before, but the usual disclaimer applies, blah, blah, blah.

* * *

After I had finally settled down from my terror enough to return home and shift instinctually back into a human being, I discovered with no small amount of misery that I was without a stitch of clothing. I took a few minutes to weigh the consequences of my situation, very quickly deciding that the longer I waited here, the more likely Charlie was to notice I'd been gone for too long.

_Bella, you dolt. There's no one watching you - you're just being paranoid. It's _ _perfectly dark out,_ I thought. _No one can see. Now take your sorry ass out from _ _behind that bush and prove that you still have some shred of dignity left within _ _you... No matter how tiny and nearly-invisible it may be._

I shifted my bare legs in discomfort. The pine needles were pricking my sensitive, sheltered skin. I itched at them impatiently.

_Ok. Bella, you're a woman. A strong, independent adult. And furthermore, you're _ _butt naked. Don't you think the warm, comfy house is a better place for you than _ _the uncomfortable, dirty forest floor?_

My subconscious had a point, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that someone - some_thing_ - was watching.

Gradually, I began to shift my weight out of my nervous crouch and into a standing position. But quick as lightning, I ducked back behind my bush as I heard a twig snap. I whipped my head all around, scanning my surroundings... _Oh. It was just me,_ I realized. _Wonderful._ I stood up again, embarrassed.

This - these heightened senses - were definitely going to take some getting used to.

Quietly, I peeped my head up from behind the bush. After cautiously checking for any sign of life again, I took off like a shot into the house, dirt flying under my feet. For a few seconds, only trees and green things were around me. As the clear, unobstructed grass of my yard came into view, I slowed to a trot and finally a stop. I stopped just behind a tree marking the line between woods and grass, eyeing the whitish siding on Charlie's house.

_Oops. I guess it's my house too, now._ I thought.

I was straining my ears to hear the thunderous sound of Charlie snoring when I felt that prickling feeling again. This time, I was SURE I was being watched. I was frozen to the spot, partly out of curiosity and partly out of fear. Soon, though, the feeling started doing weird things to my mind... And, oddly enough, other parts of me, too. Beyond freaked out, I decided, _Fuck this, if Charlie sees me naked, he sees me _ _naked. I'll simply have to deal with suffocating awkwardness for the rest of _ _my life. I can just tell him I have an affinity for streaking... Honestly, he probably _ _thinks I'm crazy anyway. _

Building up my nerve, I bolted away from the tree line.

As soon as I left the trees, things were set into motion. First, I saw the open window to my room that I had so obtusely failed to notice during my perusal of the house's exterior seconds ago and adjusted my trajectory accordingly, aiming for the large, stoic oak tree next to it. Second, I noticed that I ran differently than I used to; much faster and way more gracefully that I'd ever remembered, and I felt no pain from the sharp sticks and rocks under my feet as I ran. Thirdly, I scaled the tree with ease. Why I had even thought I could scale a tree, I have no idea - I'd never done it before in my life, nor had I had the skill or bravery to do so - yet I had done it with the skill and instinct of a primate. I looked down at my unscratched hands in amazement.

Then, the fourth and final facet of my sprint finally set in.

The prickling sensation of being watched that I had noticed in the woods was gone, but in its place something infinitely more sinister and erotic took residence. I collapsed, boneless, my on my bed as the absolute burning, all-consuming sensation that had assaulted the surface of my body ever since I left the tree line finally permeated my consciousness. My breath choked in my throat and proceeded to come in short, sharp gasps. Embarrassing noises escaped from my swollen lips, and I felt flush spread all over my body. I felt an unscratchable itch all over my skin as well as a slow, burning sear in my erogenous zones. I writhed against my mattress as my hypersensitive skin rubbed against the fabric, grinding my thighs together in an attempt to extinguish the flames. In a moment of clarity I clamped my lips together, stifling the noises I was making as much as possible so as not to disturb Charlie.

As I writhed on my bed, the feelings I was being assaulted with suddenly intensified one hundredfold. I gasped, sucking electrified air into my lungs as my head slammed to the right as if drawn by magnet. There, in my oak tree, sat an indiscernible, dark figure. The feeling snapping over my skin rose impossibly higher as I stared in wonder at the shadowy being. He was hunched like a lion, muscles rigid and locked in place. All I could clearly define was a pair of molten black wells surrounded by bright white corneas. Breath wheezed between his teeth as he gasped with me, but before I could react, he was gone.

I laid there for a few moments in complete and utter shock, recovering from the ordeal. Frightened, I cautiously reached between my legs where I could still feel my pulse beating so strongly. I drew my hand back in shock as I encountered boiling heat and slickness where I had never felt such feeling before.

* * *

Over the next few nights, I searched constantly for that man. Every time I walked by a window I would squint into the darkness, wondering if he was just beyond the reach of my eyesight. To my dismay, I received to confirmation of his presence. The emotions I had felt that night never returned.

I was beginning to suspect that it was just a dream, that I had imagined the entire thing. But I still remembered it clearly - those feelings felt _so real. _

_Was I going crazy?_


	4. Chapter 4: Revelation

**A big chappie for you guys - more than twice the words I usually give. But when it decides to write itself, there's not much I can do about it! :)**

**Usual disclaimer applies.**

* * *

After the initial terror regarding my transformation had subsided, as well as the confusion surrounding the events that happened afterward, I was able to fully appreciate the wonder of such an impossible event. Whenever I entered into my new canine consciousness, I only reveled in the smells, sights, and sounds that filled the present. How exactly I had come to share body of a wolf no longer concerned me; instead, I reveled in the fact that I didn't have a noticeable wet-dog smell, my fur was long and silky, almost translucent, and I was small but lean and swift-looking, built to take down living prey.

It was wonderful, the release that came with being such a simple-minded creature. I no longer worried about worldly things. All my bad memories - especially those of that fateful night - became all but inconsequential, floating away in the breezes that would stir my fur. Above all else, the memory of that bizarre experience after my first transformation - the feelings that wracked my body - did not matter at all. I was no longer crazy when I was a wolf - nothing else mattered except for the wind and my body becoming one.

Immediately I noticed a delectable scent floating on that same breeze. My human mind recognized it as being a somewhat woodsy, earthy, wild scent, but my wolf mind immediately said _prey_. I had just eaten before I had proceeded to explore the woods as I did nearly every night, but I then noticed that my wolf form felt absolutely ravenous.

For the first time, my body took off without my consent, and I found myself running impossibly swiftly over the ground towards the west. _Holy crow... How fast am I going, exactly? _My human brain wondered offhandedly. Trees and leaves and other structures passed by so quickly, so fast that they should've been a blur, but I witnessed every detail. The air should have been roaring in my ears, deafeningly, but all I heard was the soft breeze in the trees, the sounds of rustling leaves and woodland creatures, and the pads of my feet hitting the ground. I noted that this was faster than I had ever remembered travelling, faster that any car. An airplane would be pushing it, so I decided that this seemed to be about the equivalent of a high-speed train. I reveled in the nearly weightless feeling of it.

My muscled bunched and released in tandem as I all but flew across the ground.

This new carefree life was so seductive to me, so luxuriously worry-free, that I'd begun to let the wolf fully take over my movements. I knew in my gut that it knew what it was doing; I understood that its job was to lead by instinct and mine was to take care of more complicated matters.

I observed as if watching a movie as I leapt from a dense patch of brush and descended on a buck. It was very large and seemed wizened beyond its years, bearing an enormous rack of pointed antlers. I was mildly disturbed as my fangs collided with its throat and we both went crashing to the ground.

The shrill, snorting sounds of frightened deer and pounding hooves nearly overwhelmed me as hordes of them scattered away from their flailing leader. He thrashed his limbs violently around, seeking to knock me from his bleeding body, but I held on with tenacity that could have only been provided by instinct. Slowly, his struggles began to subside.

My human mind was slightly horrified, but I decided to just accept it before I thought about it too much. This form was a part of me now, a part of who I was, and I was not willing to add another thing to my list of worries.

As his energy flowed out onto the forest floor between us, the old buck looked into my eyes, his chest heaving as he fought for his last breaths. There seemed to bean exchange between him and I as his eyes took on a look of acceptance. We understood together that his time on this earth had come to an end, and now he was my prey, becoming another stop on the circle of life. Slowly, the acceptance in his eyes faded away to blankness.

I was humbled.

While I sentimentally considered what had just passed between my wolf and the deer, said wolf began to chow down on said deer. I was shocked back into the present by how absolutely right it felt in my mouth, the meat of another life becoming my life force.

I was immediately reminded of the way the werewolf had ripped at my aunt and uncle a year ago, but my wolf mind seemed to accept this as a casual happening. I was shocked - my wolf considered the attack on my aunt and uncle to be unsurprising, even commonplace. It recognized that, although losing one's family was immensely sad, it was part of the grand scheme, the circle of life.

It was then that I knew, for absolute certainty, that we had become one. My newfound understanding of the past had truly opened my mind, and we blended together seamlessly. I was the wolf, and the wolf was me; there was no longer a human and a wolf fighting over one body. Now, it was all Bella. Somehow, I instinctively sensed that I had changed in an irreversible way.

I proceeded to eat without further qualms.

After a short time, I began to feel an itching feeling at the back of my skull. I peered above my kill slowly, my fur beginning to rise along my spine and a growl taking root in my throat as I instinctually sensed something that should not have been there.

There, at the other end of the small clearing I was in, just beyond the cover of the trees, were the man and woman I had seen before. The small woman was closest to me, though the male didn't really look all too happy about that fact. They were clearly mates. I felt a pang in my chest; my wolf yearned for a mate, too.

As I watched them warily, the tiny female began to make gestures toward me. I assumed they weren't aware that I knew of their presence. Her voice was thick with wonder and curiosity as she spoke, though my wolf form placed no meaning to the words. My guard was up enormously high - I was being led almost purely by instinct now, with little to no humanity involved - but I didn't really know why. My human mind, shoved far back somewhere into the recesses of my consciousness, began to nag at me, so I twitched my ears in their direction, beginning to take in their words more fully.

I couldn't distinguish all the words they said as they conversed in hushed whispers, spoken extremely fast and low. It was a wonder I made anything out at all. From the woman I discerned, "Amazing... never seen before... eyes are so... is... dangerous? Don't think... can't see, though... talk... treaty..." Her voice proceeded to get more and more frustrated as she continued to speak. As she finished, she stomped her foot in a huff, pouting at her mate.

I proceeded to act like I was consuming my meal and focused even harder on the sounds of their voices, willing my sharp ears to become all the more sensitive to hear what they spoke of so quietly.

After a resigned sigh, the petite woman began to speak again, and I picked up nearly all of what she said this time. "Can you tell me anything about it, Jazz?" she said quietly. The man, who I assumed went by Jazz, said back to her, "I... I've never seen anything like it before - I feel _nothing_. It's completely blocked to me. I keep trying to get access, to make her feel something, but nothing is getting through." The woman gasped, her tiny hand coming to her lips in wonder. "I can't tell what she is. I have a hunch that there's more there, more than I can see, but I have no proof. For all I know, she could be nothing more than a wild animal." I could feel his eyes trained on me intently, and I was suddenly positive that it was me they were speaking about. But who... _what _were these people? Make me feel something? Can't see?

"I highly doubt that. I have a pretty good feeling there is more that is being let on, too." She cocked her head at me, slitting her eyes, and I realized that I had been caught eavesdropping, quite obviously, on their conversation. I stayed still and continued to stare, giving nothing away. She turned around. "Carlisle?" she called out.

All at once, I heard several people run closer. I was starting to get quite nervous - these people weren't normal, judging at the very least by how they spoke and how quickly they had appeared when the female called for them - and I was seriously outnumbered. I could hear them moving so swiftly through the brush, nearly as quickly as I could, and it made me very, very nervous. My instincts told me something about them was off.

The first to appear was a statuesque woman, her hair shining honey-gold and flowing like a smooth river down her back. It looked perfect, even though it was clear that she had been running very fast. Her body was shaped exactly like an hourglass, and her face looked like it could've been that of an angel, though it looked like it had been permanently twisted by a contemptuous sneer.  
Not a second after she appeared came her mate, a hulking bear of a man that far outshaped anyone else I'd ever seen in my life. He was built like a bodybuilder, though not grotesquely so; it was appealing to just the point before being off-putting. Perhaps it was the boyish, curly brown hair that made him a little less extreme-looking. His mannerisms and the way he stood partially in front of the blonde showed me that he was her mate. Next came a smaller woman, curvier than the petite woman but much slighter than the statuesque blonde, who had straight, flowing caramel hair. About her hung an almost motherly air, and I felt no fear of her as I had from the others. I just couldn't imagine her hurting anything, so I immediately checked her off as being an easy target were it to come to a fight.

After she had appeared, a man who was obviously the leader of the band and her mate strode almost casually into the clearing. He must've been Carlisle. He was the first to pass beyond the tree line and into a vicinity that was too close for my comfort, making the hair on my spine immediately stand on end as I began to growl. If I scared him with my actions or my eyes (which had seemed to scare the blonde, as she had looked at them all of one time and promptly looked away) he didn't show it. He was tall, blonde, and had an air of unquestionable intelligence about him.

As he scrutinized me carefully, I noticed something curious that I hadn't before: every one of them had golden eyes, and though they didn't look out of the ordinary in much of any way, they all smelled of earth and wilderness... and blood.

Something about them started to set me on edge. Adrenaline pumped through my body, and my fight-or-flight instinct began to make itself known.

The petite woman sidled up next to Carlisle. "What do you think?" she said. They weren't even attempting to hide anymore - it was clear to all that we were all well aware of each other.

"I think," he said, "that, whether there is more than meets the eye to this creature or not, we are making her uncomfortable, and we should leave her in peace." The petite girl's jaw just about dropped to the floor.

"B-but..." she stuttered.

"No buts, Alice. She's not from the reservation, so we have no business with her." He said. So her name was Alice. I could hear her mate snickering in the background.

"I am curious, though. If only Edward were here, perhaps he could give us some insight." His eyes became downcast. Alice placed her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Carlisle. He'll be back soon, I promise. I'm sure he'll think about us as he enjoys his food chilled for the next couple days," she said with a wink. That last part confused me to no end, but I let it go; they seemed to have almost forgotten I was there. This was my chance. Carlisle chuckled and shook his head at her. "Yes... I hope him and the girls are getting along well. Some of them didn't exactly part on good terms last time he visited." Carlisle noted. Alice smiled. "Don't worry, he's fine. I'm quite amused by how much Tanya's doggedness is going to annoy him over the next few days, but he'll come out better for it."

I didn't witness anything else that happened, as I was already speeding away from their location, but I did manage to hear the big one let out a hearty guffaw and say, "That sucker needs to get it over with and get laid!"

* * *

Hope you like :) He'll be here soon, I promise.


End file.
